Ink compositions are typically comprised of a vehicle containing one or more co-solvents, one or more surfactants, one or more binders, and/or one or more colorants. The colorants in ink compositions can be either dyes or pigments depending on the application requirements. Dyes typically have more brilliant colors and are easier to formulate into ink compositions suitable for high image quality and gloss. However, applications requiring durability such as water-fastness and light-fastness typically contain pigments. Pigment dispersions at the required average volume particle size diameter of 0.1 to 0.15 μm are costly due to pigment grinding, and present formulation challenges to obtain high image quality. Gloss uniformity is a particular challenge with pigmented ink compositions. Additional binders, such as latex dispersions or soluble binders, are employed to help further improve the durability of pigmented ink compositions. However, the introduction of such binders into pigmented ink compositions translates into complex ink systems including both a pigment dispersion and a binder, requiring additional costs associated therewith to produce such complex ink systems.
Therefore there is a need for an aqueous dye-encapsulated dispersion suitable for printing applications, method of producing the same, ink compositions made therefrom, delivery systems for such ink compositions, and articles having a coating layer derived from such ink compositions.